Inside the Ukrainian Special Forces' top-secret mission, dubbed 'Operation Citadel', to blow up Putin's spy platform in the Black Sea
A RUSSIAN naval spy platform has been destroyed by Ukrainian special operations forces near the coast of annexed Crimea.
Ukraine', the Ministry of Defense said Russia used the mining platform and “important” equipment to control part of the Black Sea.
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Located in the Atlantic Ocean, the Black Sea is bordered by Russia, Ukraine and Georgia NATO to land TurkeyBulgaria, and Romania – and Putin has long considered it essential for projection current and influence in the Mediterranean and beyond.
But Ukrainian forces have carried out a number of successful operations in the area since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, eliminating a third of Putin's Black Sea Fleet.
Ukraine Department of Defense stated on the official X page this week: “Another successful operation by Ukrainian SOF operators in the Black Sea near the coast of temporarily occupied Crimea.
“As a result of Operation 'Citadel', important enemy equipment was captured and a mast with antenna was blown up.
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“The enemy used the equipment to control part of the Black Sea and adjust fire in southern Ukraine. Glory to the Ukrainian fighters!”
The Ukrainian Armed Forces Special Operations Forces (SSO) exposed the details of the nighttime Operational Citadel in a video also shared with X.
Images showed troops aboard the mining platform, which Russia captured and used for drone strikes, special forces said.
The camera followed the SSO operators in the early morning hours as they searched for “important equipment,” including a radar and a signal boosting system for unmanned aerial vehicles.
As they traveled away from the platform by boat, a bright explosion could be seen in the background.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia used the drilling platform for its Iranian-made Mohajer-6 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), designed for reconnaissance and attack.
The combat UAV can carry four guided missiles and has a range of up to 200 km in 12 hours.
The Russians are also reported to have installed a Neva-B surface object detection radar station on the platform, capable of tracking up to 200 targets simultaneously, both on land and at sea.
It can detect even the smallest targets: a person up to 2 km away, a car or boat up to 15 km away, and a truck or a large boat up to 30 km away.
The Ukrainian special operations forces explained: “The enemy installed it [the equipment] to gain control of part of the Black Sea and control the fire in southern Ukraine.
The SOF group conducted special operations, sweeping the site and mining goal. After capturing the enemy's equipment, the group successfully retreated.
“The special operation was completed by blowing up the mast with the antenna.”
On their Telegram channel, they revealed how their 73rd SSO Marine Center group – a highly secretive unit that has been likened to the US Navy Seals – began “destroying enemy facilities”.
They said: “The special operation was carried out in the zone constantly patrolled by Russian aviation and navy.
“At night, the boats from the SSO's 73rd Marine Center came close to the mine platform. After carrying out special actions and cleaning work, the object was demined.
“The battle group withdrew to a safe distance and blew up the enemy target. As a result, important enemy equipment was captured and a mast with antenna was blown up.”
The SSO claimed that the successfully conducted special operation allowed safer movement of ships and limited Russian capabilities in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.
It comes after the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces revealed this week that the Ukrainian military had “eliminated” 24 Russian ships and one submarine.
It is believed that the Russian Black Sea Fleet then had a total of 74 combat ships Vladimir Putin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, meaning that Ukraine has eliminated a third of the Russian Navy's fleet in the past two years.
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